


Come, Sinners, Fall Into His Grace

by Diary



Category: Scandal (TV)
Genre: Ambiguous Relationships, Awkward Conversations, Bechdel Test Fail, Bottle Episode Fic, Canon Gay Character, Canon Queer Character, Gen, Hotel Room Setting, Late Night Conversations, Manipulation, Post-Season/Series 04 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 00:28:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 994
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6351688
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Diary/pseuds/Diary
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Michael shows up at Tom's hotel room to talk about Cyrus. Complete.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Come, Sinners, Fall Into His Grace

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own Scandal.

There’s a knock on the door, and Tom pauses when he sees who’s on the other side.

Quickly dismantling his gun and putting it in the safe, he undoes his tie and goes back over to the door. “Oh, Mr- Did Cy- your husband leave something? Come in, please.”

“No, I’m not here to pick up something for Cyrus. Call me Michael.”

Offering his hand, he says, “Tom Larsen. Rule of thumb, Ethan’s the one he complains about when reports have grammatical errors, and I’m the one who can never give him enough information on people. I’m not sure what Ethan’s non work-related sin is, but for someone who has trouble tying his own tie, your husband- let’s just say, to hear him tell it, if bad taste were illegal, I would already have a needle in my arm.”

Michael’s eyes sweep over him and land on the loose tie. “That one looks fine to me.”

Reaching up, he pulls it off and easily says, “Once I started working for him, being allowed to choose my own became a thing of the past. Uh, I’m not sure where Mr Beene is. Or did you come over for some other reason?”

“Some other reason,” Michael answers. “We’re both adults here. Whatever the papers and news channels say, our marriage isn’t the fairy tale it’s been painted as. Since I have no idea if he’d tell me, I’m asking you: Are you sleeping with him?”

Tom looks away for a few seconds and looks back with a carefully blank expression. “No. Why don’t we sit down? Can I offer you something to drink?”

“You know about my former profession,” Michael says. “What you may or may not know is that pros are good at reading people. They have to be. Even if that ‘no’ is true, there’s something else. Cyrus is going to get involved in things he shouldn’t and do things he shouldn’t, and I’m mostly good with not knowing. But I do actually take Ella’s safety and happiness seriously. I might not be a great step-father, but I’m more of a father period than he is.”

Shifting, Tom asks, “Really, could we please sit down?”

They do.

“I worked in the White House,” Tom says. “Secret Service. I remember the first time I saw Cyrus, it was only a few seconds, we’re constantly scanning and accessing the room, but he felt my eyes, and he just- glared at me. Every time we were in the same room, there it was. It’s ironic, now, what with everyone knowing what he is, but at the time, I was sure he saw certain things in me and condemned me for them. But,” he laughs slightly and nods towards the tie, “it turns out, his offence was at the ties.”

“You’re gay?”

“At this point in my life, I know I should have an answer, but the honest truth is: I’m not sure what I am. There are days I don’t even know who I am. But I am very good at intel gathering.” He sighs. “I did some questionable things as an agent, and I was caught. I literally thought my life was over, but when election season first started, your husband contacted me. Several women candidates, Governor Vargas and Senator Davis, and Doyle- there’s never been so many non-white, non-male candidates at one time. With sincere respect for Ethan’s abilities, anyone associated with any of the campaigns is going to need a whole team of information gatherers. I imagine it won’t be long until you’re hearing about even more people who aren’t living up to the great Cyrus Beene’s standards.”

Chuckling, Michael nods.

Tom watches him steel himself.

“But if he wanted to-” The sentence hangs.

Shrugging, Tom says, “I can’t answer that. This isn’t the polite or even kind answer, but if you’re asking if I’d want him to want to: Yes. Some people are attracted to power, but I don’t really fit that. I’ve known and worked for powerful people that, personally, I couldn’t stand. It’s more along the lines of, I tend to do well when I’m following someone. Right now, that’s him, and unlike some of the others, there have been instances of genuine kindness on his part. The fact he might strangle himself with his own tie if someone doesn’t do it for him but still feels he has the right to judge others for theirs makes me feel oddly safe in a way I can’t really explain.” 

“Yeah,” Michael says. “I get it.” Standing up, he offers his hand. “Well, good luck, Mister Larsen. One word of advice: Cyrus is good at that sort of thing. He’ll make you interested, make you feel safe, and then, if you aren’t James Novak, when you inevitably show human failings, he’ll still keep you for as long as you’re useful, but he’ll never let you forget that but for grace of him go you.”

Shaking his hand, Tom nods. “If it does matter, he’s never- I mean, he’s looked a few times, but even the most committed have found themselves liking the look of other people. He’s never given any hint of actually wanting anything along those lines.”

“I honestly don’t care about that,” Michael says. “I just hope, whatever intel gathering and other things you and he are doing, it isn’t going to leave me permanently disgraced with no money and a little girl who still cries at night for her dead daddy.”

…

“Your husband came over last night.”

Cyrus looks up from his papers. “Michael? Why?”

“He wanted to know if we were sleeping together.”

Sighing, Cyrus mutters, “Oh, for God sakes.” Setting them down, he asks, “And your response was?”

“No, but I am somewhat confused over my sexuality and wouldn’t mind if we were.”

Rolling his eyes, Cyrus picks the papers back up. “Whatever keeps him out of our hair. Here’s what I’m thinking about how to handle Hollis…”

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Notes: Basically, the reason for this is that I have a feeling the show is either going to reveal Cyrus and Tom have been sleeping together or is going to have them get together soon. If I'm wrong, however, then, the great thing about Tom's character is the audience can never truly trust him, and his motivations for things are never quite clear. I could still see him implying or outright lying to someone about he and Cyrus were sleeping together or one of them wants to sleep with the other just because such a claim/implication would help him achieve a goal/gain him something/mess with someone's mind/etc.


End file.
